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wilhelm hau

I was lucky enough, last week, to come into contact with a cousin who found my tree on Ancestry.com. She and I are 3rd cousins and we both descend from Wilhelm Hau and Kathrine Tuepper.

I have known about Wilhelm for a long time. He was born in 1842 in Prussia. He became a wealthy land owner and had tenant farms. According to stories, he served in the Prussian army and had a crippled little finger. He played the violin and was a choir director. Because of political reasons, Wilhelm immigrated to the United States, probably in the mid-1860’s, and settled in Russell Twp., Sheboygan Co., WI. There, he farmed and was the choir master at St. Joe Catholic Church.

Wilhelm died in 1884, at the age of 42. I haven’t yet been able determine how he died. He and Kathrine had 9 children.

I’ve never known what Wilhelm looked like – until now! My new newly-found cousin has a picture of him and emailed it to me today. I can now put a face to my 3rd great grandfather.